Q&A: South-South Cooperation &#39Can Change the Geography of the Planet&#39

Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, who also heads his country's delegation in multilateral trade negotiations, believes cooperation among developing countries can change the way people perceive the world.

ENERGY-SOUTH AMERICA: Mega Gas Pipeline Plans Held Up

The South American mega-pipeline project to transport natural gas from the Caribbean to the River Plate, supplying a large part of Brazil en route, "has cooled down because of attacks from within South America itself" and due to attempts by the United States to delay the plans, complained Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

DEVELOPMENT-UGANDA: A Dam That Activists Simply Can’t Make Peace With

As preparations for construction of the Bujagali dam on the Nile River in Uganda gain momentum, a local civil society coalition is calling on the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to reconsider their decision to release funds for this hydro-electric project - which the World Bank estimates will cost 799 million dollars.

ENERGY: ‘Gas OPEC’ Still a Long Way Off

A cartel of natural gas-producing nations similar to OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries), an idea floated by countries like Iran, Russia and Venezuela, remains a distant possibility due to the nature of the market.

US-INDIA: ‘123’ Nuclear Agreement Completed

India and the United States have announced a bilateral agreement permitting the export of U.S. civilian nuclear technology to India in exchange for a promise that the South Asian giant will allow International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) inspectors access to its nuclear facilities.

ENERGY: Biofuels Pushing Up Food Aid Prices

A dramatic increase in the production of biofuels has led to rising food prices with serious implications for developing countries reliant on food aid to combat famine.

BRAZIL: In Search of Sustainable Ethanol

To curb international criticism of its cane alcohol industry, the Brazilian government announced that it will ban new sugarcane fields in the Amazon region and in the vast Pantanal wetland.

ENVIRONMENT-NIGERIA: Rich in Oil, Dependent on Firewood

It is a paradox of note: the fact that while Nigerians live in the world's sixth-largest oil producer, most of them still rely on wood for their fuel.

INDIA/US: Nuke Deal – Breakthrough or Bad Bargain?

After tortuous negotiations spread over four days in Washington, the United States and India have reported "substantial progress" on a bilateral agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, but said they would now "refer the issue to our governments for final review."

ENVIRONMENT-JAPAN: Quake Devastates Nuclear Power Plans

Reports of radiation leakages at a nuclear power plant, following the Niigata earthquake on Monday, have raised widespread public alarm and dealt a devastating blow to the government’s plans to boost the nuclear power industry, both domestically and abroad.

ENERGY: Nuclear Power No Panacea, Critics Say

The nuclear mishap caused by Monday's earthquake in Japan has unleashed another wave of environmental concerns about the use of nuclear technology to meet the world's energy needs.

ECONOMY-MALAWI: Uranium Mining Sparks Controversy

Malawi will have its first-ever modern mining project located in the northern town of Kayelekera in Karonga by early next year if plans by an Australian mining company, Paladin (Africa) Limited, are successful. In April this year, the Malawi government granted the mining company a licence to exploit up to 34,5 million tons of uranium.

HAITI: A Land Crumbling Beneath Their Feet

Dardy Saint-Jean gazes at the rock-strewn river coursing through his village and shakes his head in disgust.

MALAWI: ”All-Day Electricity”-As Long As It Is Not Peak Time

Patients have over many years frequently been denied scheduled surgical operations at the Holy Family Hospital in Malawi’s southern region due to abrupt power cuts.

TRADE: Following Oil Boom, Biofuel Eyed In Africa

While oil profits have flooded into countries such as Angola and Nigeria in recent decades, some African observers see new potential for the continent in the form of increasingly in-demand biofuels.

ALBANIA: Thermal Plant Threatens Tourism

The building of a thermal power plant in Vlora could reduce Albania's electricity deficit, but it would also damage one of the country's most beautiful tourist destinations. The local population is fighting to have the factory built elsewhere.

GERMANY: Breakdowns Renew Case Against Nuclear Energy

A series of technical breakdowns in two of the oldest nuclear power stations in Germany has led to renewed demands to phase out nuclear energy.

ENERGY-SOUTH AFRICA: Putting Sunshine in Your Taps

Solar water heaters offer people the chance to save money, increase the security of the local and national energy supply - and cut down on greenhouse emissions said to cause climate change. Yet, roofs throughout South Africa are noticeably bare.

ENVIRONMENT: Clean or Not Thailand Sees Dollars in Palm Oil

The new governor of this southern province has set his sights on another prize to add to its list of unique features. ‘’We are aiming to be the palm oil capital of Thailand,’’ says Siwa Sirisoawaluk who has been Krabi’s chief administrator for nine months.

Q&A: "Species Are Moving Southwards"

For South African author Leonie Joubert, global warming is a grass roots issue - literally.

CLIMATE CHANGE: U.S. Backs Clean Energy – In Asia

The United States and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are joining forces to coax Asian nations to switch to cleaner forms of energy, in hopes of averting a predicted spike in carbon emissions by the world's fastest-growing region.